Braiding machine



y 3, 1934- E. K. STANDlSH ,958,098

BRAIDING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l 6 H 4 H 5 INVENTOR.

y 1934- E. K. STANDlSH 58,

BRAIDING MACHINE A Filed May 11, 1952 3 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR.

y E. K. STANDlSH 58,098

BHAIDING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1932 I5 Sheets$heet 3 I5 5 /l A Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFIC'E 8 Claims.

This invention relates to braiding machines and is especially concerned with the complete mechanism, comprising the stand, feeding and take-up, reel winding on drive, and reel traversing or lay- 5 ing apparatus for the braider product.

More specifically the invention discloses a braider stand of simple compact construction permitting two reels to be located with their axis in line between the two side frames, and whereby the winding on reel may be driven by its rims without the use of a central shaft or other attachment and the feeding reel may rest on its rims at all times, and also providing greater convenience in loading and unloading the reels obtained by the use of an inclined reel runway starting from the floor.

There is also disclosed a simple friction jackshaft located at the rear of the stand and adapted to drive both the winding on reel and the laying on mechanism without the use of a slipping belt.

There is also disclosed a simplified drive for the take-up wheel by the use of a shaft set at an oblique angle with reference to the take-up wheel and by the combination of a pinion having spiral teeth adapted to mesh with a straight spur gear on the take-up wheel whereby a side thrust is given the take-up wheel and the meshing of the gear teeth has a sideway slip as well as the usual rolling contact. This combined action and the elimination of a series of gears prevents backlash and a jerky take-up.

There is also disclosed an easily operated change gear device, and a simplified take-up bracket and support.

The arrangement of the various mechanisms on the stand to permit of simple connections, and the arrangement and accessibility of the reels which secures maximum compactness for each braider, and also secures a minimum center distance between machines along the aisles and back to back, is very essential in a practical braider, and one of the principal improvements disclosed.

The design of the stand also shows a compact arrangement for driving two braiders locatedback to back and makes provision for the elimination of floor hangers for the line shaft bearings.

The invention specifically shown is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the stand and drives.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the stand and drives.

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the reel roller drive showing a simple construction for all the reel rollers.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the stand.

Fig. 5 is a detailed assembly of the jackshaft, shown partly in section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings, and the normal direction of rotation of the various moving parts are indicated by arrows.

The braider stand as specifically disclosed in Figs. l2 and 4 comprises two side frames 1 fastened together by a suitable upper front tie bar 2 carrying the traverse mechanism, an upper rear tie bar 3 carrying the jackshaft mechanism, a lower front tie bar 4 forming the inclined runway for the reels, and a lower rear tie bar 5.

At the lower front end of the side frames 1 are two reel roller rods 6-Figs. 1 and 3supported thereon. Mounted to rotate on each of these rods are two reel rollers 7 and 8Figs. 2-3- The two rollers 7 located at the left in Figs. 2-4 are mounted to rotate freely on the rods 6Figs. 13-as the reel 9 is unwound.

The'two rollers 8 located at the right in Figs. 2-4 support the reel 10 and are driven by sprockets 1lFigs. 1-2-3which are attached to or are a part of the reel roller flanged heads 12.

Passing under both sprockets 11 is a suitable chain 13 which is driven by a sprocket l l-E'igs. 4-5-on the jackshaft 15 mounted in the bracket 30.

An idler sprocket l6-Figs. 1-2for tightening the chain 13 is adjustably fastened to the side frame 1.

The jackshaft 15Fig. 5has a plate 1''] and a collar 18 both fastened thereto. Rotatably mounted on the jackshaft 15 is a bevel pinion 19 having an extended hub 20 which is threaded for part of its length.

Slidably mounted on the outer end of hub 20 and driven by the pin or key 21 is a second plate 22 and between the face of plate 22 and the face of plate 17 is a friction disc 23, such as leather.

The plate 22 has a recessed hub 24 which carries a spring 25 whose pressure can be adjusted by the collar 26 held by the locknut 27. The end of the jackshaft 15 is provided with a crank 28 which drives the traverse mechanism through the crank rod 29--Figs. 1-4-5.

Adjustment of the jackshaft collar 26Fig. 5 determines the amount of pressure between the plates 22 and 17 and the friction disc 23 and therefore the driving power of the chain 13 and the crank rod 29.

The bevel pinion 19Fig. 5-meshes with a bevel gear 31 mounted on a short shaft 32. A sprocket 33 is connected by a chain 34-Figs. l-2-which is driven by a sprocket 35 mounted on a horizontal shaft 36 running in the take-up wheel bracket 37. The flanged take-up wheel 38 mounted on the stud 39 fastened to the bracket 37 carries a straight spur gear 40-Fig. l. Meshing with'gear 40 is a spiral pinion 41 whose teeth are cut at a suitable angle and of special form to mesh and drive correctly with the straight spur gear 40.

The spiral pinion 41 is fastened to the horizontal shaft 36. On the opposite end of shaft 36 are change gears 42. The lower gear 42 is mounted on a short shaft carried by an adjustable bracket 43 which may be raised or lowered as required to mesh the gears 42. On the opposite end of the short shaft is a worm gear 44 meshing with a worm 45 driven by a vertical shaft 46 which extends downward through a tubular post 47 supporting the take-up wheel bracket 37. The lower end of this vertical shaft is driven in any suitable manner as by the gears 48 and horizontal shaft 49 located inside the braider.

It will thus be seen that as the braider drives the change gears 42 through the vertical shaft 46 the worm 45 and the worm gear 44 all other elements may be driven at varying speeds by changing the gears 42. This will change the speed of the take-up wheel 38 and of the jackshaft sprocket 33 and also the normal speed of the windup reel rollers 8 and the traverse crank rod 29.

The reels 9 and 10Figs. l-2-4--are easily pushed up the slight incline of the lower front tie bar 4 onto the reel rollers 7 and 8.

The material 53 on reel 9 which is to be braided over is first pushed up through the center of the braider 50 which has been outlined in Fig. l as having a lower set of yarn spools 51 and an upper set 52. The material 53 passes up through the guide 54Fig. 2where it is braided and then passed around the take-up wheel Bil-Figs. l-2 thence through the eye of a guide rod 55Fig. 1and down to the traverse or laying on guide lever 56 and thence to the wind-up reel 10.

The upper front tie bar 2 may carry a spool box 57.

'The side frames of the stand are so made that a second braider may be installed by theaddition of a new set of tie bars and one additional frame, and the frames may fasten together back to back thus requiring the minimum floor space for a plurality of machines. The side frames are also provided with suitable bosses 53-Fig. 1to which may be attached a bearing '59 carrying the line shaft 60. On this shaft 60 may be mounted drive pulleys 61, and belts 62, either straight or crossed, may be run to the braider drive pulleys 63. The side frames also have adjustable slots 64 for belt tightener pulleys 65.

The laying on or reel traversing mechanism indicated in Figs. l-2-4 has a suitable yarn guide lever 56 which is moved horizontally in either direction by a suitable mechanism, not shown, but preferably operated from the jackshaft by the crank rod 29-Figs. 1-45.

Obviously there are features of this laying on device, of the jackshaft, the take-up, the reel winding drive, and the stand as disclosed,.which may be altered without departing from the scope of the invention.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise construction shown what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:-

1. A braiding machine reel stand having two parallel side frames connected together by tie bars, a jackshaft located at the upper rear corner of said frames, reel rollers located at the lower front corner of said frames, a laying on mechanism located at the upper front corner of said frames, an unwinding reel and a winding on reel located between said frames with their axes in line and resting on said reel rollers, and driving connections between said jackshaft and the reel rollers and laying on mechanism.

2. A braiding machine reel stand having parallel side 'frames supporting a braider, a jackshaft rotating with said braider, reel driving rollers located near the lower front corner of said stand, a laying-on mechanism located at the upper front corner of said stand, and driving means connecting said jackshaft with said reel rollers and said laying-onmechanism.

3. A braiding machine reel stand having two side frames, tie bars connecting said frames. together, two parallel reel roller rods extending between said frames and resting thereon, an idle roller and a driven roller on each reel roller rod, means for rotating both driven rollers in the same direction at the same speed, and minclinedrunway starting. at the floor at the front of said frame up which reels may be pushed onto both idler and driven rollers.

4. In a braiding machine the combination with a. suitable take-up mechanism, of a stand,

a. jackshaft driven by the take-.up mechanism by means ofadjustable friction plates, winding on reel rollers driven by a chain from said'jackshaft, anda laying on mechanism located above the reel rollers and driven by a crank'on said jackshaft.

5. In a braiding-machine the combination with a suitable take-up mechanism, of a stand having parallel side frames, a jackshaft driven by the take-up mechanism through friction plates, an inclined runway extending between said frames up which an unwinding and a winding on reel may be rolled and installed side by side with their axes in line, a. pair of reel rollers under each reel, a. chain adapted todrive both winding on reel rollers in the same direction from said jackshaft, a laying on guide lever located above said winding on reel, and means connected with said jackshaft to traverse. said guide lever and reverse its direction automati- 6. A braiding machine stand having twoparallel side frames connected together by tie bars, reel driving rollers located between said frames at the lower front part of said stand, alayingon mechanism located above said reel rollers, and a jackshaft located between said frames, said jack-shaft having a plate attached thereto, a second plate parallel with the'first plate driven by said braiding machine, a friction discbetween said plates, means for adjusting the pressure between said plates and disc, asprocket on said jackshaft having a chain adapted to drive said reel rollers, and a crank on said jackshaft adapted to operate the laying on mechanism.

7. In a braiding machine and stand the combination of a tubular post, a take-up wheel jackshaft, means for supporting an unwinding reel and a winding on reel side by side beneath said braiding machine, a laying on mechanism located above said reels, and means for driving said winding on reel and laying on mechanism from said jackshaft.

8. In a braiding machine the combination of a tubular post, a take-up wheel bracket supported at the top of said post, a vertical shaft located inside said post and driven by said braider, a Worm fastened to said vertical shaft, an adjustable bracket carrying a short horizontal shaft, a worm wheel on the inner end of said 

